
ITION NUMPER-> 




Class. 
Book. 






GENERAL RESOURCES and AD- 
VANTAGES of SMYTH COUNTY 

In the Most Attractive Section of Appalachian Virginia 



Compiled by JOHN P. SHEFFEY, and Printed by Order of 
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 

IN THE YEAR OF THE JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION, 1907 




Smyth County Court-house 



SMYTH COUNTY, VIRGINIA 



MYTH COUNTY, situated in that delightful section known as Appa- 
lachian Virginia, was formed in 1832 from Washington and Wythe Q^H^fa] 
counties. It has a total area of 315,425 acres, with a population of $t(ltCinCnt 
twenty thousand, the number of males and females being about equal and the 
colored population consisting of less than one-sixteenth of the total number 
of inhabitants. By the census of 1900, since which time many negroes have left 
the count}', the actual figures were as follows: White males, 8,566; white fe- 
males, 8,495 ; negro males, 575 ; negro females, 595. By the same census the 
total foreign born population was only sixty, of which number thirty-six were 
English, nine German, four Irish, six Scotch, and two Welsh. Of the one hun- 
dred counties in Virginia, only four show so large a percentage of increase in 
population during the past fifteen years as Smyth County. 



The large majority of the people of the county are of pure American stock, 
uCnCtal descendants of those hardy pioneers who sought their fortunes west of the Blue 
StAtCtncnt Ridge and established the character of that civilization whose spirit turned the 
tide of revolution at King's Mountain and opened up for Anglo-Saxon settle- 
ment the great territory formerly embraced within the borders of Western 
Virginia. The history of these people is coincident with that of the whole 
Holston region, an extended statement of which does not properly come within 
the limits of this volume. They have played a creditable part both in the quiet 
occupations of peace and the more trying scenes of war. Within the bounds of 
what is now Smyth County was the home, and in the Aspenvale graveyard now 
rests the body of General William Campbell, who led the patriot forces of this 
section at King's Mountain, winning what proved to be, perhaps, the decisive 
battle of the Revolution. At Seven Mile Ford, too, is the handsome estate 
which has been the home of the Preston family for more than one hundred years. 
Here was the home of John S. and William C. Preston, celebrated as orators 
and statesmen, and of many other distinguished men. In Smyth County lived 
for many years, and here is the burial place of Madame Russell, sister of 
Patrick Henr3^ 

In the Civil War, though the majority of the people of the county were 
opposed to the secession movement, after the call for troops was made by the 
Federal Government, they followed the standard of Virginia, sending to the 



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Preston Home, Seven Mile Ford 



General 
Statement 



Confederate Army eight companies, making a total of nearly nine hundred 
soldiers, many of whom served through the most trying campaigns of that 
period. James W. Sheffey, a man of large means and distinguished legal attain- 
ments, was the county's representative at the beginning of the war period, taking 
a leading part in the deliberations of the Convention which framed Virginia's 
Secession Ordinance. 

At the end of the war the people of the county devoted themselves with 
equal zeal to the building up of their weakened fortunes. Agriculture and 
stock-growing were then and are now the dependence of the majority of the 
inhabitants, but the past decade has brought a remarkable increase in manufac- 
turing and industrial interests, Avhich bid fair to make the county the financial 
and manufacturing center of Southwest A/'irginia. 




GENERAL ADVANTAGES 



Smyth County is about twenty-two miles wide from east to west and twenty- 
eight miles long from north to south. In conformation to the general character 
of Appalachian Virginia, which is a mountain country, traversed its whole 
length by the Appalachian or Alleghany system of mountains, the county con- 
sists of long and comparatively narrow valleys, divided by mountain ranges, 
and opening out in certain portions into the rolling farm lands and fertile river 
bottoms which are the delight of the agriculturist, and unsurpassed for the pro- 
duction of every grain and vegetable necessary for man. Here the far-famed 
bluegrass grows spontaneously from the soil, supplying during the greater por- 
tion of the year the meat-producing elements for the growing" of the finest ex- 
port cattle in America, as well as for the grazing of horses, sheep, and other 
domestic animals. 

The Brushy Mountain, constituting the northern boundary of the county, 
and separating it from Tazewell, rises to from 4,000 to 4,500 feet above the sea- 
level, while the Iron Mountain, constituting its southern boundary, and separa- 
ting it from Grayson County, rises in its White Top and Balsam peaks to the 



CopograDby 




Home of Maurice Hale, Cedar Springs 



tnagnificent height of 5,648 and 5,720 feet, respectively, marking them as the 
loftiest in Virginia. The county is conveniently divided into three magisterial 
-districts — the northern, or Rich Valley district; the middle, or Marion district; 
and the southern, or St. Clair district. These three sub-divisions represent the 
three great geological or mineral, as well as the three great agricultural belts 
of the county; three or more separate systems of drainage, and three systems 
of forestry, differing in character. 

The Rich Valley district comprises all that territory lying between the tops 
of Brushy and Walker's mountains ; the Marion district all that territory lying 
between the tops of V/alker's Mountain on the north and Rye Valley Mountain 
and Chestnut Ridge on the south; and the St. Clair district all that territory 
lying between Rye Valley Mountain and Chestnut Ridge on the north and the 
top of Iron Mountain on the south. These three divisions are drained respect- 
ively by the North, Middle and South Forks of Holston River, all streams of 
considerable size, furnishing excellent Avater power for all sorts of manufactur- 
ing enterprises and lending to the landscape in their windings through the un- 
certain countrj^, with its bordering of mountains, a beauty unrivaled. Bold 
springs and smaller streams abound on every hand and it is doubtful if in Amer- 
ica can be found a more abundantly watered section of countr3^ There is hardly 
a boundary of one hundred acres in the county which is not well supplied with 
springs or running streams. 



The wonderful development of the resources of Appalachian Virginia dur- 
PfOSPCCt ing the past few years, revealing to some extent the richness of the soil, the 
wealth of forest and mountain, and the suitability of the country to the in- 
creasing needs of civilization, is but an indication of the fulfilment of Commo- 
dore Maury's prophecy, that here would be eventually the most prosperous and 
thickly-settled section of America. The country itself is ideal for habitation — 
a country of mountains and rivers, its rugged aspect relieved by fertile farm 
lands and peaceful homes, eminently suited for the nurturing of that high 
type of civilization which is Virginia's pride. Though its improvement has been 
rapid, it yet remains in many respects an undiscovered land, offering to the. hand 
of industry abundant fruits for energy expended and to the capitalist a liberal 
increase on investments. 

Smyth County, in the midst of this pleasing country, with all of those char- 
acteristics which render the section so attractive, and with undeveloped wealth 
sufficient for the support of a population more than twenty times the number 
of its present inhabitants, invites the attention of the homeseeker and investor. 

* * * 

Climate The Holston water-shed, of which Smyth County forms a part, is one of 

the three water-sheds of greatest elevation in Virginia, being 2,594 feet above the 




Home of T. B. Ward, Chatham Hill 



sea. The elevation of the county and its relatively clear atmosphere favor 
CrllnitltC insolation. During the day air currents move up the mountain sides and the 
valleys become filled with warm air. At night these conditions are reversed. 
Cool, descending currents flow down the mountain sides into the valleys, dis- 
placing the warm air and thus reducing the temperature decidedly. This results 
in considerable differences in the daily range of temperature. 

Precipitation is well distributed over the county and is abundant for all 
agricultural purposes. 

The climatic conditions are as follows : 

Average temperature for ten j^ears : spring, 53 degrees ; summer 71 degrees ; 
autumn, 54 degrees ; winter, 33 degrees ; annual, 53 degrees. Highest tempera- 
ture, 97 degrees ; lowest temperature, 1 1 degrees below zero. Number of times 
in ten years that the lowest temperature has been below zero, 19. Number of 
times the highest temperature has been above 95 degrees, 13. 

Average seasonal precipitation for ten years, per month : spring, 3.83 
inches ; summer, 4.53 inches ; autumn, 2.57 inches ; winter, 3.03 inches. Aver- 
age annual, 41.90 inches. Average number of days yearly with measurable 
amount of precipitation, no. Average amount of snowfall each year, 23.3 
inches. Greatest snowfall in any one storm covering 24 hours, 13.3 inches. 
Prevailing direction of the wind, W. 

The average date of last frost in the spring is April 28th, while the latest on 



record for spring occurred May 30th. In the autumn the earliest frost was 
recorded on September 12th, and the average date is October loth. ClllltiltC 

Situated as it is in the heart of the mountain country and far enough south 
to avoid the severe winters of more northern latitudes, Smyth County is un- 
surpassed as a place of residence, so far as climatic conditions are concerned. 
The altitude is such that always during the summer months the days are agree^ 
able and the nights are cool. Rarely during the middle of the day in summer 
is the atmosphere oppressive for warmth. In winter the thermometer very rarely 
goes to zero, and if the weather does become very cold, it is usually so for a 
very short time. The proportion of bright, warm days during the winter months 
is large, and a good part of the winter weather is suitable for outdoor work. 

- It is no exaggeration to say that from the last of March to the early days 
of December the climate of Southwest Virginia is delightful. Summer visitors 
are numerous, coming to the mountains to escape the extreme heat of lower 
and more southern localities. 



In educational lines Smyth County is improving rapidly, in line with the ScbOOlS (lltd 
educational awakening all over Virginia and the South. There are sixty-one CburchCS 
public school buildings in the county, with a total number of eightj^-eight teach- 
ers. There are twenty-six male teachers in the division and sixty-two female, 

13 




Public High School at Marion 



Churches 



which is, perhaps, the ratio prevailing all over the State. During the last few 
years the average salary paid to teachers has been doubled. Good schools are ^iI^.?i!?Jua5 
easy of access to every child in the county, and there are eight excellent high 
schools, located at convenient points. New and modern school buildings have 
been erected within the last few years at a cost of nearly seventy thousand 
dollars. In Marion and Saltville, the two incorporated towns of the county, 
have been opened for use, during the past year, new and costly high school 
buildings, equal to the best in the State. In Marion, the county seat, is located 
also a first-class girls' school, Marion College, which has wielded a wide influ- 
ence in the educational progress of this section of Virginia. The general atti- 
tude of the people of the county is highly favorable to improved educational 
facilities. 

In addition to local school advantages, Smyth County is within easy reach 
of the leading colleges of the South. Marion, the county seat and practical 
geographical center of the county, is within a half hour's ride of Emory and 
Henry College, one of the oldest and most influential colleges for men in the 
South, while all of the colleges of Virginia to the eastward are within easy 
reach. Roanoke College and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute are both within 
the bounds of the section known as Southwest Virginia, while Charlottesville, 
the seat of the University of Virginia, is reached within eight hours by rail. 
Washington and Lee University, the Virginia Military Institute, and Hampden- 

15 



Sidney are within one day's ride. Within less than two hours' ride to the 
^^u *!* eastward and westward of Marion are high-grade girls' schools, representing 
the leading religious denominations of the country. 

There are about forty churches in the county, representing the leading re- 
ligious denominations. The moral and religions condition of the people is 
far above the average. There has been no licensed sale of whiskey in the county 
for over thirty years. The criminal expenses of the county during the past year 
were about three hundred dollars, a very low figure for a population of twenty 
thousand people. During this time there has been only one conviction for a 
felony, and this was committed by a citizen of another county who was passing 
through on a freight train. At the present time the county jail is empty and 
has been so for some time. 

There are two newspapers published at the county seat, representing the 
two great political parties. Mail facilities are such that the leading newspapers 
of the country are received on the day of publication. 

* * * 

RailfOadS Railroad property Jias improved in line with growth in other directions, 

and the assessed valuation of such property being as follows : Norfolk & Western, 
with twenty-two miles of main track and six miles of side track, $400,38000; 

16 



turnpikes 




Public High School at Saltville 



Marion & Rye Valley, with seventeen and thirty-five hundredths miles of track, 
1\(liirO(la$ $105,357.00; and the Virginia Southern, with six miles of track, $30,000.00. 
CUfllDikCS ^^^ Norfolk & Western Railway divides the county practically in half, 

running east and west through the central valley of the Holston, affording easy 
connection with the Virginia & Southwestern and Southern systems at Bristol, 
forty-four miles west, and a convenient passenger and freight route to the mar- 
kets of the east and north. On the Norfolk & Western, in the central valley, 
are located the thriving towns of Chilhowie, Seven Mile Ford, Atkins, and 
Marion, the county seat, while Saltville is reached by a branch road running 
out from Glade Spring in the edge of Washington County. Three passenger 
trains each way daily are supplied, including two solid vestibuled trains. 

Toward the south from Marion and together with the Virginia Southern 
Railroad, opening up for successful development the rich mineral and timber 
lands of the Rye Valley region, and extending from Marion nearly forty miles, 
into the very heart of the richest body of spruce timber in America, runs the 
Marion & Rye Valley Railroad. This is a standard gauge road built especially 
for the development of the mineral and timber interests which it reaches. It 
passes in an easy grade up the narrow and picturesque valley of Staley's Creek, 
ascending with sharper grade the mountain which forms the dividing line be- 
tween the middle and southern valleys of Smyth County. This road exhibits 
in its construction a considerable degree of engineering skill, the grade having 



been located Avith difficulty, and the descent of the southern side of the moun- 
tain necessitating a series of "switchbacks." It passes through a country whose K^lirOflflS 
rugged beauty is imsurpassed, perhaps, in America, and whose wealth of mineral rurUDlktS 
and of timber is large. The road crosses the mountain south of Marion around 
a break in the range, opening up to view the snug valley which forms the south- 
ern district of Smyth County, while beyond, as far as the eye can reach are the 
lofty mountains which form the border of western North Carolina. High over 
all is the round summit of Balsam Mountain, rising nearly six thousand feet 
above the sea. Toward the west is the sharper summit of White Top, which 
is also nearh' six thousand feet above sea-level, and from which one may see 
into the four states of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. 

The Marion & Rye Valley and Virginia Southern roads, which are practi- 
cally one system, handle a very large amount of logs and sawed timber, the latter 
being brought from the large br.nd-mill of the Fairw^ood Lumber Company in 
Grayson County and from smaller mills along the roads, while the unsawed 
logs are brought from the logging camps to the mill of the United States Lum- 
ber Company at Marion. Li addition, the Marion & Rye Valley brings to the 
Norfolk & Western for shipment to market a great deal of iron ore, produce, 
and other freight and express. The county is well supplied with shipping facil- 
ities, no point being unduly far from a railroad. 

The county has about six hundred miles of turnpike and graded roads. 

19 




A Road in the Chilhowie Country 



Running east and west through the middle valley is a first-class macadamized 

road, formerly the old stage route, from which are good roads leading to all «\ft|ll*Oaw$ 

parts of the county. The good roads movement which is taking hold in the riirn»lk«$ 

counties of Southwest Virginia will lead to improvement in the roads of Smyth 

County. 

* ^ * 

The total assessed value of all property in Smyth County is $3,607,261.85, Tjngitdgl 
of which $2,223,166.00 is real estate and $1,384,095.00 is personal property. The GOItdition 
total revenue of the county from realty and personal taxes during the present 
year amounts to nearly $54,000.00, of which about $14,000.00 goes to the State. 

The average assessed value of the real estate is $4.87 per acre. While this 
valuation seems remarkably low, the fact must be taken into consideration that 
a large part of the county is mountainous and, for the most part, untillable. 
A considerable portion of the mountain section, however, is well timbered and 
lias increased largely in value since the beginning of the development of the 
lumber interests in this section. Of the total acreage of the county, Marion 
district has 110,432 acres, with an average assessed value of $4.66 per acre; 
Rich Valley has 108,995 acres, with an average assessed value of $6.54 per acre; 
and St. Clair has 96,002 acres with an average assessed value of $3.43 per acre. 
Much of the mountain land of the three districts is assessed as low as fifty 



Condition 



cents per acre. As is the prevailing system in Virginia, the assessed value of 
^i!!j?5ii!l farming lands and personal property is not quite one-third of actual values. 
■Most of the agricultural and grazing" land ranges in price from twenty to one 
hundred dollars per acre, and some of it is regarded as worth more than the 
latter figure. The total actual value of real estate and personal property is, 
therefore, in the neighborhood of $12,000,000.00. The approximate total actual 
value of manufacturing plants and enterprises is not far from the same amount, 
if the real estate holdings of such enterprises be included. Of this estimated 
value, a large part, perhaps nearly one-half, is embraced in the great enterprise 
of the Mathieson Alkali Works at Saltville, the chief single industrial activity 
of the county. 

The total indebtedness of the county is $54,000.00. Of this about $4,000.00 
consists of bonds issued at the time of the establishment at Marion of the 
Southwestern State Hospital. About $50,000.00 of the total indebtedness was 
assumed lately for the erection of a new county court-house. These bonds are 
for thirty years, with the privilege of paying one-fourth in five years, and one- 
fourth every five j^ears thereafter, or all at the end of twenty years. In all 
probabilitj^ all of the bonds will be retired within the twenty years. The total 
tax rate is one dollar and sixty-one and two-thirds cents on the one hundred 
dollars, divided as follows : 

State taxes for all purposes, thirty-five cents; county tax, fifty cents; road 




Southwestern State Hospital, Marion 



tax, thirty cents ; county school tax, twenty cents ; district school tax, ten 
cents ; court-house levy, sixteen and two-thirds cents. 

* * ^ 

BiinkS By their last published statements the total resources of the four banks of 

Sniyth County are as follows: Bank of Marion, Marion, Virginia, $299,711.91; 
Marion National Bank, Marion, Virginia, $372,171.80; Bank of Saltville, Salt- 
ville, Virginia, $120,330.81; Bank of Chilhowie, Chilhowie, Virginia, $53,990.61. 
The individual deposits in these four banks amount to over half a million, dol- 
lars. The rapid improvement in financial conditions among the people is 
shown by the growth of these deposits Four years ago there v/as only one 
bank in the county, and its individual deposits at that time rarely exceeded 
$200,000.00. 

* * * 

TratCrnal Marion, the county seat of Smyth County, is the acknowledged jNIasonic 

and BcnCPO- center of Southwest Virginia, the fraternity being represented here by Lynn 
lent Organi- Commandery, No. q, K. T., and Marion Royal Arch Chapter, No. 51. 

ZatiOns At various points in the county are also representative lodges of other 

leading fraternal and benevolent organizations, including the Royal Arcanum, 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Junior Order of United American Mechan- 
ics, Woodmen of America, etc. 

24 



Public 



Another evidence of the spirit of improvement which characterizes the 
people of Smyth County is shown in the new court-house recently completed 
at Marion. The old building, which stood upon a beautiful square in the center HMIIfllllflS 
of town, was erected in 1832, just after the formation of the county, and had 
long been out of keeping with the progressive spirit which, especially during 
recent years, has marked this section of the State. The Board of Supervisors, 
on their own initiative and under the solicitation of leading citizens of the county, 
had this old building removed and a new and enlarged building for county and 
court purposes erected. The building of a new jail also was rendered neces- 
sary by the fact that the old jail, which stood upon the rear of the court-house 
square, had to be removed to make room for the new court-house. 

The completed court building has attracted the favorable attention of all 
visitors to the county seat. The architect has skillfully combined the best fea- 
tures of the Roman style with the practical demands of modern life, and the 
building, while distinguished for the simplicity of ornamentation which charac- 
terizes the special period of architectural development to which it refers, is 
doubtless the most imposing and conveniently arranged of its class in the 
State. It is built of Powhatan pepper-and-salt brick and Bedford limestone. The 
interior wood work is of first quality native quartered oak and Carolina pine 
and steel ceilings are used throughout except in the auditorium. The building 
is heated throughout with steam and is fitted for three hundred and eighty-four 

25 




Lyon's Gap Stock Farm-Home of H. L. Morgan 



electric lights. It is a difficult matter to convince a stranger that both it and the 
jail were built and practically furnished within the sum of $60,000.00. Fo*r its PMbilC 
construction, bonds for $50,000.00 were issued and will be paid without increase HUll«IH9$ 
of taxation. 

In the southeast corner of the court-house scjuare is a beautiful granite 
monument to the memory of the soldiers of the Confederacy who went from 
this county to the war between the states. This monument was erected by the 
devoted efforts of the Smyth County Chapter of the Daughters of the Con- 
federacy. 

At Marion is located also the Southwestern State Hospital for the Insane, 
one of the largest public institutions in Virginia. This hospital was established 
in 1887 by the Virginia Legislature at an original cost of $200,000.00, since 
which time large additions have been made, the institution now being maintained 
at an annual expenditure of about $70,000.00. There are at present something 
over ilve hundred patients. Dr. A. S. Priddy is the Superintendent. 

The hospital maintains its own electric light and power plant and has an 
abundant gravity supply of pure freestone water from a never-failing spring 
about three miles from Marion. There is a farm in connection with the hospi- 
tal, from which last year produce to the value of over $12,000.00 was furnished 
for use by the patients and employes, inchiding twenty-four thousand nine hun- 
dred and fifty-two gallons of milk and nearly eleven thousand dozen eggs. The 



monthly pay-roll of attendants and employes is considerable and is for the most 
» i,ai part" expended in Sms'th Countv. Here also many of the supplies for the?" insti- 

B""<«^"«^ Lion are purchased." 



GENERAL RESOURCES 

The soils of the divisions of the county vary almost as widely as her 
JISfiCUltUK mineral productions, which will be treated later on. There is a large area of 
level or river bottom land lying along each of the three rivers, affording alluvial 
deposits of great depth and fertility. These lands are very productive, being 
capable of constant cropping without deterioration, whether for wheat, corn, 
oats, rye, cabbage, roots or grasses. The average yield per acre of all grain 
crops, under proper cultivation, is equal to that of the best lands in America. 
The farmer who does not raise from twenty to thirty-five bushels of wheat per 
acre and between sixty and one hundred bushels of corn does not fail to do so 
from any lack of productiveness in the soil. While the county is situated in a 
section of Virginia preeminently adapted for grazing purposes, a large amount 
of land is under cultivation and the county ranks well up among the grain and 
vegetable producing counties of the State. 

In the fertile river bottoms of the Rich Valley and the Chilhowie country 

28 




Preparing to Plant Apple Trees 
Home of D. D, Cole, St. Clair's Bottom 



less than one hundred bushels of corn per acre is the exception, the soil and 
climate being especially adapted to the successful growing of this crop. Wheat 
also is very successfully grown, the yield on good land rarely being less than 
twenty bushels per acre. In addition to these two staple crops, large crops 
of buckwheat, rye and oats are grown. Hay also forms no mean part of the 
county's agricultural productions, the yield ranging from two to four and one- 
half tons per acre. The yield of millet, clover, cowpeas, and all provender crops 
is abundant. 

In the Rich Valley, with its more than one hundred square miles of some 
of the finest lands in Virginia, are found thousands of acres of bluegrass of 
indigenous grov.th, the farms here equaling in exevy respect the far-famed 
bluegrass lands of Kentucky. Besides the many delightful homesteads owned 
b}^ happy and contented farmers in this lovely valley, there is located at Salt- 
ville the beautiful ten-thousand-acre, bluegrass, stock farm connected with the 
■\Iathieson Alkali Works. Here for many years the Palmer and Bowman Com- 
pany owned the largest herd of registered short-horn cattle in the world. That 
their herd attained high rank in the short-horn world is attested by the fact that 
its trade extended not only to the remotest sections of our country, but to this 
firm belonged the honor of having made the first shipment of short-horns ever 
made from the United States to the Spanish-American states south of the 
equator, and als© of having exported more cattle to South America than all 



other breeders in the United States together. This farm is now under the 
management of the firm of W. W. George and Sons, who also make a speciaUy Ji91*ICUlt*irC 
of the breeding and growing of fine cattle, having at present the only herd of 
pure-bred short-horns in the county. 

At Lyon's Gap, in the Rich Valley, is the Lyon's Gap Stock Farm, where 
Mr. H. L. Morgan is engaged in breeding pure-bred Hereford cattle and making 
beef-cattle for the export market. The foundation stock for this Hereford 
herd was bought from the oldest and most prominent breeders in Indiana and 
Illinois, and, while the herd is not large, they are as good as any that can be 
found in the United States. These cattle, as are those of all the breeders of 
this section, are brought to maturity in the most natural way, having the run 
of a bluegrass pasture during the summer and fed in the open pretty much all 
winter, never being closely stabled. The young cattle are broke to the halter 
and are as gentle and docile as could be, but their growth in the open renders 
them strong, robust and healthy. Cattle from this herd have been sold into 
North Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, and other states. 

Eight years ago Hereford cattle were practically unknown in Southwest 
Virginia, and there was not one in Smyth County. Herefords were never seen 
among the bunches of export cattle. Today the kindly white-faces greet you 
on every hand. A Rich Valley pasture field looks odd now without a few Here- 
ford steers and they are nearly always the tops of the lot. 




Export Cattle— W. W. George & Sons 



The two breeders named above are given here merely as indicating the 
work of the cattle men of Smyth County. Practically all of the extensive JlflflCUltUrc 
farmers of the county are engaged in the production of fine beef cattle for the 
export markets. Less than one dozen of the farmers of the Rich Valley shipped 
last year over one hundred thousand dollars' worth of export cattle. The whole 
of the Rich Valley, as well as parts of the other sections of the county, is noted 
for fine cattle, horses and sheep. 

Cattle for export are usually handled in the following manner : They are 
bought in the fall as two-year olds, wintered on a limited amount of shock 
corn, with about all of the roughness they will eat, such as corn fodder, or 
corn stover, hay and straw. They are fed out on the sod, never closely stabled. 
The farmer who keeps the fall weights on until the grass comes has done well, 
though generally a few pounds are added during the winter. They are turned 
to pasture, a good bluegrass sod, about the middle of April, where without 
further feeding of grain they are ready for the fall shipments. Southwest Vir- 
ginia, with the exception of a few counties in West Virginia, is the only section 
in America from which cattle for export are sent direct from the pasture lands 
without the use of grain in fattening. 

The Middle A^alley has also its alternations of river bottom and bluegrass 
upland, and is generally productive of all the cereals and grasses, and is finely 
adapted to grape culture and market gardening. Thousands of dollars' worth 



of cabbages are raised in and shipped from this vaUey every year, forming one 
/iSnCUIIIirC Qf ^j-ig principal sources of revenue of the farmers of this section. The soil is 
finely adapted to the growing of vegetables of all kinds. On the broad, level 
farjns of the Chilhovvie and Seven Mile Ford countrj', hundreds of acres of 
potatoes are raised, in addition to the general farm crops. 

The South Fork or Rye Valley is not as productive in general as the other 
valleys, but here are found many excellent farms, and the bottom lands of the 
St. Clair district are practically as fertile as those of the other valleys. 

The whole of Smyth County is especially well adapted to apple growing, 
but the production of this crop has received comparatively little attention from 
the farmers of this section. Large quantities of apples, however, are shipped 
from the county every year, and it is certain that with proper attention the 
apple crop of the county could be made the chief source of profit to the farmers. 
The best results are obtained with Johnson's Fine Winter or York Imperial, 
Ben Davis and Black Ben, but the climate and soil are suited for the produc- 
tion of many other varieties. Almost every apple grown in the eastern states 
has been successfully grown in Smyth County. The fact is, that for stock- 
raising, grain, vegetable and fruit production, very few sections of the United 
States deserve stronger mention, especially when considered in connection with 
its healthfulness, water supply and water power. 

34 




A Morning Toilet — Lyon's Gap Stock Farm 



Following is the number and assessed value of the live stock held respec- 
tively by the white and colored population of the county : 



Kicb Uallev District 

JIdPiCUltUrC Horses and Mules. Assessed Value 

White 1,004 $34,800.00 

Colored 14 , 500.00 

Cattle. 

White 4,642 67,235.00 

Colored 26 385.00 

Sheep. 

White 2,290 5,617.00 

Colored 3 10.00 

Hogs. 

White 1,523 2,253.00 

Colored i 5.00 

.36 



marion District 

Horses and Mules. Assessed Value 

White 1,314 $49,661.00 jigricMltwre 

Colored 13 33Soo 

Cattle. 

White 3,610 39,692.00 

Colored i5 HS-OO 

Sheep. 
White 1,909 - 5,124-00 

Hogs. 

White 1,641 2,696.00 

Colored i S-OO 

$t. Clair DistHct 

Horses and Mules. 

White 819 $30,910.00 

Colored 2 80.00 

37 




Home of George W. Tyler, Seven Mile Ford 



Sf. glair District- Con. 
Cnttlp Assessed Value __ , ,^ 

White 2,051 $21,362.00 

Colored 8 85.00 

Sheep 1,305 2,322.00 

Hogs. 

White T,599 2,394.00 

Colored 13 18.00 



total tm Stock in the County 

Horses and Mules 3,i66 $116,286.00 

Cattle 10,352 128,904.00 

Sheep . 5,507 13,07300 

Hogs 4,778 7,37100 

23,803 $265,634.00 

As is the case practically all over Virginia, the assessed valuation of prop- 
erty is approximately only one-third of actual values, so that the real market 

39 



value of the live stock of the county is easily in the neighborhood of $800,000.00. 
JldflCilltlll'C In addition to the work of the farmers in raising cattle, horses, sheep and 

hogs, and in pure agriculture, the poultry business is assuming considerable 
proportions. As an instance, one produce firm in the county shipped last year 
over three hundred thousand dozen eggs and thousands of chickens, turkeys, 
geese and ducks. The nearness of the county to good markets renders this 
business one of the most profitable to the farmers. The Southwestern State 
Hospital at Marion especially maintains a large establishment for the production 
of chickens and eggs and has some of the finest flocks of thoroughbred chick- 
ens in America. With the exception of sales from its thoroughbred pens, how- 
ever, the output is consumed at the hospital. 

There are also several other yards in the county for the breeding of fine 
poultry. 

The farmers of Smyth County are in better condition financially than ever 
before in the history of the county. The majority are free from embarrassing" 
debts and the extension of the rural delivery system and the improvements in 
educational lines, as well as the marked growth of manufacturing and finan- 
cial interests, have brought proportionate benefits to the agricultural population. 
The values of farming lands have increased along with the general rise in real 
estate values during the past few years, the prices in Smyth County ranging 
from ten to one hundred dollars per acre. 

40 




Rich Valley Saddle Horses in the Making 



Minerals of great value abound. Smyth County, perhaps alone of all the 
counties of Virginia, contains ^vithin its borders practically every mineral 
found in commercial quantities in the State. Besides salt, gypsum, lead and 
barytes, several varieties of iron ore, manganese and marble are found. In 
Currin Valley, southeast of Marion, considerable quantities of iron ore have 
been mined and shipped. The iron ore found here is of good quality and the 
developments already made warrant the belief that this field will yield a very 
large amount of ore. Red hematite is found in quantity at Tilson's in Rich 
Valley, and in many places along the river below this point the surface indica- 
tions warrant the belief that much iron ore exists. Near Atkins, six miles east 
of Marion, are thousands of acres of valuable ore land. Some of this prop- 
erty has been developed in past years with encouraging results. Both iron and 
manganese are found in this vicinity. 

Rye Valley, which is a continuation of the great Cripple Creek Valley, is 
exceedingly rich in the abundance and variety of its mineral resources. In the 
east end the Lobdell Carwheel Company operated for many years a cold blast 
charcoal furnace, the entire product of the furnace being consumed at their 
carwheel works in Delaware. The iron ore is chiefly limonite and of excellent 
quality. The ore is found both as a wash ore and in large continuous veins. 
These ores show a range of from forty-two to sixtj'-five per cent, metallic iron 
and are remarkably free from objectionable properties. Several hundred tons 

42 



of manganese has been mined and shipped from this valley, and the deposits 

of manganese here and elsewhere in the county are apparently large and nlillCr«ll$- 

valuable!. 

Lead and zinc ores are found in many places in Smyth County. Zinc ores 
are found in Rye Vallej' at many points, while lead has been found in the same 
valley and also in Rich Valley and in the south spurs of Walker's Mountain. 
Several years ago a discovery of high-grade galena ore was made in Rye Val- 
ley, which resulted in the purchase of nineteen acres of land by the Rye Valley 
Lead Company. This company sunk a shaft one hundred feet in depth, uncov- 
ering a vein of ore from four to fourteen inches in thickness. Seventeen tons 
of this ore were hauled by wagon to Marion, the Marion and Rye Valley Rail- 
road not then having been built, and shipped to New York for smelting. The 
carload netted about six hundred dollars. During the past year the Chamberlin 
Mineral Company has purchased about ninety acres of land in this vicinity, 
and the mineral rights on two hundred and fifty acres, at a cost of nineteen 
thousand dollars. The company is spending about fifteen thousand dollars for 
machinery and will begin at once the development of the property. Experts have 
estimated the ore already excavated at one hundred thousand dollars, with ex- 
cellent prospects for the future. Some of the ore here has analyzed fifty-five 
per cent, lead, twelve and one-half per cent, zinc, four per cent, silver and two 
per cent gold. 

43 







' 


^^^dA^^:M: 


t^^a^^L^ 




sc- '»^'^''i 


sSj^l 


1 











Sheep in the Rye Valley 



The ore deposits of the Rye Valley region are conveniently located with 
respect to the Marion & Rye Valley Railroad and indications are that ore prop- 
erties here will be rapidly developed. 

Clays that stand many of the ordinary fire tests are found in nearly every 
portion of the county. Before the Civil War the several iron forges that were 
then in operation in the county were successfully lined with these clays. There 
is abundant clay for the manufacture of building and paving brick. At Chil- 
howie for many years the Virginia Vitrified Brick and Paving Company, and 
afterwards the Southern Clay Manufacturing Company, operated an extensive 
plant for the manufacture of brick. Man}' of the towns of Virginia are paved 
with these brick. This compan}' will, in all probability, resume operatioi\s in 
the near future. 

The gypsum deposits of Virginia are confined to Smyth County, and in this 
county to a narro^\' strip in the valley of the North Fork of the Holston River. 
The deposit is more irregular in its mode of occurrence than is common for 
gypsum, and for this reason its exact extent is difficult to determine. For a 
distance of ten miles above Saltville there is more or less gypsum in the river 
valley, but only careful prospecting with a core drill can determine the amount 
of available gypsum. A great many pits have been opened from which gypsum 
har, been taken for the purpose of making land plaster. This is especially the 
case in the districts known as the Pierson Plaster Bank Farm, the Barnes- 



45 



Taylor land, and the Cove region, which are three, nine, and thirteen miles, 
niincrilU respectively, from Saltville. 

The quality of the gypsum of Smyth County is excellent. Hundreds of tons 
of absolutely pure material may be obtained, while the average run of mine 
may be counted on as ninety-nine per cent. pure. Its physical characteristics 
also add to its value. It is soft, granular, and easily crushed. In color it is 
gray or white, while not infrequently it occurs in banded masses, the gray and 
white alternating. 

The Buena Vista Plaster and [Mining Company has operated successfully 
for many years a small mill a mile below Saltville and its output iias been 
favorably received by the building trade. During the past year the Southern 
Gypsum Company, Incorporated, has bought the Pierson Plaster Bank Farm, 
three miles above Saltville and has carefully prospected a portion of this farm 
with a core drill. The gypsum rmderlying this land has a thickness at many 
places of about fifty feet and the prospecting completed by jNIarch, IQ07, had 
proved the presence of a million and a half tons of gypsum. This company is 
now erecting at Plasterburg, in Smyth Comity, a large and expensive plant for 
the manufacture of gypsum into commercial forms. The most important use 
to which Virginia gypsum will be put is the making of high-grade wall plaster, 
though a considerable amount is used in the manufacture of Portland cement. 

At Saltville, on a branch of the Norfolk & Western Railroad, there are 

46 




Plant of the Mathieson Alkali Works, Saltville 



large deposits of salt, the property of the Mathiesoii Alkali Works, a corpora- 
tion organized under the laws of the State of Virginia for the manufacture of 
salt, alkali, and caustic soda. The charter was granted and the company or- 
ganized in 1893. The process used is that known as the Ammonia or Solvay, 
which was developed and first made a practical working success by Ernest 
Solvay, of Liege, Belgium, and is almost exclusively used by all manufacturers 
of alkali throughout the world. At the present time the Mathieson Alkali 
Works are not manufacturing salt, having closed down this portion of the 
operation about three years ago. The manufacture of salt, however, will prob- 
ably be resumed on an extensive scale in the near future. Their particular 
product is and has been from the start. Sodium Carbonate, commercially known 
as "Soda Ash." This product is made in large quantities and in all of the 
different tests known to the trade. They also manufacture caustic soda and bi- 
carbonate of soda, the former in strengths known as 60, 70, 74, and 76. 

The first product turned out of the plant was in June, 1895 ; three years 
later, in June, 1898, the company began the manufacture of bi-carbonate or 
cooking soda. This product has been of superior merit from the start, and 
because of this fact a large and growing" trade has been acquired. 

The company operates its own limestone quarry, which is located about 
three miles from the plant, the stone being conveyed from the quarry by means 
of an aerial tramway. Employment is given to more than twelve hundred men. 

48 



The Mathieson Alkali Works, through their ownership of the Castner 
Electrolytic Alkali Company, of Niagara Falls, New York, are the largest man- 
ufacturers of bleaching powder in the United States. They are also the only 
large manufacturers of chemically pure caustic soda, which is produced in 
large quantities at the Niagara plant, in connection with the manufacture of 
bleaching powder. The officials of the company are Jas. M. Edwards, 33 Wall 
Street, New York City, President; Edward E. Arnold and John R. Gladding, 
of 53 Canal Street, Providence, Rhode Island, Vice-President and Treasurer, 
respectively: and J. S. Goetchius, of Saltville, Virginia, Assistant Treasurer. 
W. D. Mount, of Saltville, Virginia, is General Superintendent of the plant. 
All products are handled through the firm of Messrs. Arnold, Hoffman & Com- 
pany, who have offices in New York, Boston, Providence, and Philadelphia. 

In addition to the minerals already mentioned, a large amount of limestone 
is quarried in Smyth County, for use at Saltville and in iron furnaces in South- 
west Virginia. As already stated, the Mathieson Alkali Works maintains its 
own quarry for this product, and Mr. W. F. Culbert has operated two large 
quarries near Marion for several years, shipping annually about seventy-five 
thousand tons of limestone for use in the manufacture of iron. This stone is 
of first-class quality and suitable for the making of Portland cement. 



49 



■"•"■"ggfilgHljS %_.*• •*"" ■•" 




A View at Saltville 



The lumber business of Smyth County is easily one of the leading indus- 
tries of Southwest Virginia, bringing to the county annually many thousands of 
dollars, and furnishing profitable employment to both skilled and unskilled 
labor. At Atkins, in the middle valley, the Glade Mountain Lumber Company 
liave a band mill with a daily capacity of thirty-five thousand feet of lumber. 
This company owns the timber on about ten thousand acres of land and ship 
annually over the Norfolk & Western, to which they have a branch road 
about ten miles long, a large quantity of oak, chestnut, hemlock, and other 
■varieties of lumber. C. A. Randolph is President of the company and Frank E. 
JTighley, Secretary and Treasurer. 

At Marion is located the double band mill of the United States Lumber 
Company, which has a capacity of one hundred thousand feet daily. This Com- 
pany, which is capitalized at $900,000.00, owns the timber on about forty thou- 
sand acres in what is said to be the finest body of spruce timber in the United 
States. The logs are brought to Marion over the Marion & Rye Valley Rail- 
road, which is practically owned by the same company. In addition to their 
■daily output of all grades of spruce lumber, the company produces also a large 
amount of ash, cherry, poplar, hemlock and basswood lumber. Their product 
:goes mainly to points in eastern Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and other 
■eastern markets. Shipments are made as far west as Wisconsin, while a con- 
siderable quantity is exported to South America. The officers of the company 

51 



'CimbCr and are J. C. Campbell, President, Marion, Virgini?. ; J. C. Bradshaw, Secretary 
Cumber and Treasurer, Marion, Virginia, and C. W. Amsler, Vice-President, Clarion, 
Pennsjdvania. 

The Fairwood Lumber Company, v.'hose mill is located at Fairwood, in 
Grayson County, is also controlled in part by stockholders in the United States 
Lumber Company, and owns the timber on nineteen thousand acres, most of 
which boundary is located in Smyth County. The product of the Fairwood mill 
comes to the Norfolk & Western at Marion by way of the Virginia Southern and 
Marion & Rye Valley Railroads. 

At Chilhowie, in the middle valley, Mr. L. M. Bonham conducts a thriving 
lumber business, dealing in large quantities of the various kinds of lumber 
native to this section. The firm of Look & Lincoln, of Marion, also operate 
mills at different points in the county, producing lumber for their wagon and 
plow handle factory and for the general market. 

The firm of D. H. Mitchell & Company, in addition to a general produce 
business, handle annually thousands of railroad ties, as well as considerable 
quantities of tan bark and lumber. In addition to these firms, there are smaller 
concerns throughout the county, both for the production ana handling of mar- 
ketable lumber. 




Rock Quarry, near Marion 



The agricultural, timber and mineral resources of Smyth County, with its 
OtbiP Inait- excellent water power and railroad facilities, make it an ideal location for the 
lifilCtUrinS successful operation of all sorts of manufacturing enterprises. In each of the 
itltttCrCStS three valleys there are first-class roller mills for the production of flour and its 
allied products. While the mills of the Rye Valley and Rich Valley districts 
grind only for the local trade, there are located in the Middle Valley on the 
Norfolk and Western several mills of considerable size Avhose output finds a 
ready sale both locally and at various points in Virginia and neighboring states. 
At Mt. Carmel in this Valley, the firm of W. S. Stone & Company grinds a 
large amount of flour, meal, chop and mill-feed. At Marion the H. B. Staley 
Company has a brick milling establishment of considerable size operated by 
water power from the Holston River. This firm makes a specialty of fine Vir- 
ginia flour, breakfast food and self-rising buckwheat flour, in addition to the 
general roller mill products. Shipments are made to various points in Virginia 
and other states, some of their products going as far south as Atlanta. At Chil- 
howie is the mill of the Chilhowie Milling Company, manufacturers of Our 
Pride, Purity, and Peerless Flour, meal, feedstufifs, etc., who supply many of 
the merchants of this and other sections, as well as the local trade. The offi- 
cers of the company are James D. Tate, President ; James H. Greever, Vice- 
President ; B. T. Wren, Secretary. 

At Marion is the establishment of Look & Lincoln, one of the oldest 

54 



manufacturing concerns in Virginia. This iirm manufactures annually from 
three to four hundred wagons, numbers of railroad and transfer carts, as well OtnCI* llltllt- 
as various wagon parts and fixtures, and makes a specialty of the production of UfaCtUflltfl 
plow-handles, in the manufacture of which it is the pioneer factory of this sec- TntCl*t$t$ 
tion, having been established in i860. Its product goes to all parts of the Uni- 
ted States and shipments are made to foreign points. The officers of the com- 
pany are N. L. Look, President; C. C. Lincoln, Vice-President; A. T. Lincoln, 
Secretary and Treasurer, and W. L. Lincoln, Superintendent. 

Three miles from Marion, on the Marion & Rye Valley Railroad, is the 
prosperous village of Attoway, where Mr. Geo. M. Atkins operates a factory for 
the manufacture of handles, hubs, and other material. Here also is supplied 
a considerable quantity of walnut and other fine woods, some of which is ship- 
ped to European markets. 

The Marion Manufacturing and Milling Company have successfully operated 
a foundry and repair establishment at Marion for several years, manufacturing 
castings of all kinds, wagons and wagon material. This firm has recently secured 
a new charter under the name of the Marion Foundry and Machine Works, with 
an additional capital of $30,000.00. Their equipment has recently been enlarged 
and fitted for all kinds of railroad and machine repair work. The officers are 
B. F. Buchanan, President ; Dr. John S. Apperson, Secretary and Treasurer, and 
Thos. W. Lumsden, General Manager. 

55 ,' , 




Part of the Town of Chilhowie 



The Virginia Table Works, recently incorporated, with a capital stock of 
$30,000.00, is now erecting at Marion and will have in operation early this sum- OtDCf fnan- 
mer a modern table factory, which is being constructed of brick and reinforced WaCtUrinfl 
concrete, and will be operated by electric power from the plant of the Marion 'WKrCStS 
Electric Light and Power Company on the Holston River, three miles west of 
Marion, from which the town of Marion is now supplied with electric lights. 
The officers of the Virginia Table Works are W. L. Lincoln, President; B. F. 
Buchanan, Vice-President, and L. P. Collins, Secretary and Treasurer. 

The firm of W. C. Seaver & Sons, long established manufacturers of this 
section, are operating at Marion a well-equipped factory for the manufacture of 
various kinds of household furniture, their product going to Boston and other 
Northern markets. Their establishment is supphed with modern machinery and 
gives employment to both skilled and unskilled labor. Their output has been 
most favorably received by furniture dealers, and their production and ready 
sale of this product gives promise for the rapid future growth of the furniture 
business in this section. 

The Marion Lumber and Contracting Company conducts a factory for the 
manufacture of flooring, inside finishing material and building supplies of all 
kinds, for which there is an unusual demand in the county at this time. 

Chilhowie, which is located in one of the most prosperous sections of the 
county, with a wide area of level territory surrounding it, is advantageously 

57 



located for manufacturing industries, and here, in addition to the industries 
■OfnCr insit- already mentioned, there are in operation an overall factory, a sash, door and 
UTaCtUrinfl blind factory, a large planing mill and other successful establishments. It is 
TntCrCSlS one of the leading business localities in the county. 

At Seven Mile Ford, one of the im.portant railroad points of the county, there 
has recently been organized a company for the manufacture of building brick, 
there being an abundance of brick clay in this region. Here also is contem- 
plated the early erection of an electric light and power plant which will supply 
light and power from the llolston River to the Seven Mile Ford country and the 
town of Chilhowie. 

The successful operation of the various manufacturing enterprises now in 
existence in Smyth County is but an indication of the large possibilities of this 
held. The opening here is good for the investment of capital in almost any 
manufacturing industry suited to the resources and situation of the county. The 
situation is especially advantageous for the establishment of factories for the 
manufacture of all grades of furniture, and for boxes, building material, and 
other wood products. There is an abundance of chestnut and other woods for 
the successful operation of a large extract plant. The county and section need 
here a brick factor}-, an ice plant, an iron furnace, a steam laundry, a bakery and 
other enterprises. That the people of the county have confidence in its abundant 
resources and prospects is shown by the fact that outside of the two large 

• 58 




Plant of the United States Lumber Co., Marion 



band mills and the plant of the Mathieson Alkali Works, practically every enter- 
prise in the county is financed by local capital. 



Courts Smyth County is situated in the twenty-third judicial circuit of Virginia, 

over which Judge F. B. Hutton, of Abingdon, presides. There are five terms of 
the circuit court : February, April, August, October and December. Twenty- 
eight miles east of Marion, at Wytheville, the Supreme Court of Virginia holds 
annual sessions on the tenth of June. Twent3^-eiglit miles west, at Abingdon, 
the United States Court is held. 

$ ^ ^ 

County Clerk, S. W. Kent, Marion, Va. ; Treasurer, George W. Wright, Marion, Va. ; 

Officers Sheriff, W. N. McGhee, Seven Mile Ford, Va.; Commonwealth's Attorney, 

Robert L. Williams, Marion, Va. ; Superintendent of Schools, B. E. Copenhaver, 

Marion, Va. 

Board of Supervisors: — Rich Valley District, T. B. Ward, Chatham Hill, 
Va., Marion District, D. C. Gollehon, Seven Mile Ford, Va., St. Clair District. 
J. F. Scott, Sugar Grove, Va. 

60 



Marion, Population, 2,700 Mayor, John P. Sheffey. TltCOrpOfatCd 

Saltville, Population, 1,300 • • Mayor, T. B. Hobbs. COWIIS 



$ 



Advertising Committee: — John P. Sheffey, Marion, Va., Chairman. B. F. CXPOS'ltiOII 
Buchanan, Marion, Va., R. A. Anderson, Marion, Va., Dr. John S. Apperson, CoitimittCCS, 
Marion, Va., B. E. Copenhaver, Marion, Va. 1907 



Rich Valley District.—]. S. Goetchiu,s, Saltville, Va., Dr. J. D. Buchanan, Gcitcrill 
Ellendale, Va., J. S. Roberts, Broadford, Va., T. B. Ward, Chatham Hill, Va., expOSllion 
W. V. B. Tilson, Chatham Hill, Va. €omm ttCCS 

Marion District: — H. P. Copenhaver, Marion, Va., D. C. Gollehon, Seven 
Mile Ford, Va., L. M. Pugh, Sugar Grove, Va., James F. Scott, Sugar Grove, 
Va., E. S. Neff, Seven Mile Ford, Va. 

St. Clair District: — Maurice Hale, Sugar Grove, Va., D. R. Maiden, Seven 
Mile Ford, Va., L. M. Pugh, Sugar Grove, Va., Jas. F. Scott, Sugar Grove, 
Va., E. S. Neff, Seven Mile Ford, Va. 

61 




Wagon Factory of Look & Lincoln Marion 



Lumber and Timber: — J. C. Campbell, Chairman, Marion, Va., M. M. Sea- GCNCfal 
ver, Marion, Va., C. C. Lincoln, Marion, Va., W. J. Matson, Marion, Va., C. A. €xpOSitlon 
Randolph, Atkins, Va., H. L. Bonham, Chilhowie, Va. Committee 

Minerals: — Dr. John S. Apperson, Chairman, Marion, Va., A. T. Short, 
Marion, Va., F. A. Wilder, Broadford, Va., W. D. Mount, Saltville, Va., R. N. 
Ward, Sugar Grove, Va., J. H. Wissler, Cedar Springs, Va., W. F. Culbert, 
Marion, Va. 

Any of the gentlemen of these committees will be glad at any time to furnish 
further information in regard to their respective sections, or general and special 
inquiries may be directed to George W. Richardson, Secretary of the Board of 
Trade, Marion, Smyth County, Virginia. 



63 



JUN 29 1908 




iniii®Stmii®WMiing 
& MsinkmiiiriiisgCiii 



s^ 





